


Doctor Freak

by Lynn_Forster



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Book 2: Crooked Kingdom Spoilers, F/M, Fix-It, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:27:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22723924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn_Forster/pseuds/Lynn_Forster
Summary: From the text:“It’s probably a false alarm” she thought. “The Plague… I don’t think so. The smallest flesh of infected skin can cause the entire city a panic attack… but well, it’s always better to check… oh, the minerals of the cement shine like stars! What a shame there is that disgusting mashed chewing-gum… the homogenous grey of the street is ruined by that single, dirty white patch! And that darker trail that…Doc stopped, frowning. She went closer to the anomalous trail and examined it carefully: it wasn’t a trail, but a big, crimson stain.The healthy corner of her lips made an involuntary flicker.“Blood.”She started looking for  more bloodstains, more halos that could suggest her a direction to take.It didn’t take a long time to find them.NB: SPOILERS FROM CROOKED KINGDOM ENDING!
Relationships: Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck, Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa, Matthias Helvar/Nina Zenik
Kudos: 9





	Doctor Freak

Her low heels were ticking on the pebbles of the small alley, the sound of her quick steps was the only objection to the unnatural silence that surrounded her.  
The huge shoulder bag was rubbing against her thigh, against the fabric of her black pants.  
Doc was walking fast down the street, her right hand tight on the fastening of her beige jacket, the black hat slightly tilted over her dark eyes: once in a while, she released the grip on her jacket and started touching the plastic mask which covered her left cheek, the left part of her jaw and a small portion of her lips.  
She touched it with devotion, feeling it. She wanted to be sure it was still there.  
_“My anchor. My certainty. What makes me normal.”  
_She walked faster.  
Each pebble on the alley had a different shape and a different size.  
_“Irregular pebbles. Chaotic pebbles… oh, look, one of these looks like the crushed nail of an elephant...”  
_She reached the main street, where the cobbled paving turned into a solid river made of cement, which was glowing under the gentle sunlight.  
_“The icy stream melts down slowly, flowing into the river…”_  
She liked when the city was almost desert and silent.  
Saints, that damned alarm siren almost drove her mad, that morning!  
_“It’s probably a false alarm”_ she thought. _“The Plague… I don’t think so. The smallest flesh of infected skin can cause the entire city a panic attack… but well, it’s always better to check… oh, the minerals of the cement shine like stars! What a shame there is that disgusting mashed chewing-gum… the homogenous grey of the street is ruined by that single, dirty white patch! And that darker trail that…  
_Doc stopped, frowning. She went closer to the anomalous trail and examined it carefully: it wasn’t a trail, but a big, crimson stain.  
The healthy corner of her lips made an involuntary flicker.  
_“Blood.”  
_She started looking for more bloodstains, more halos that could suggest her a direction to take.  
It didn’t take a long time to find them.  
  
  
  
The brunette girl’s screams made Doc think for the worst. She hoped to be still in time.  
The situation seemed desperate: the curvy, beautiful young woman was holding close a huge, blonde boy, who laid unconscious on the ground, the head rested on her lap.  
Next to them, there was a tiny Suli girl who was trying to give her friend some courage, even though her own eyes were covered by a veil of sadness.  
Doc ran to them, scaring the two girls. She knelt down, laying her big bag close to herself, and showing her palms to display her pacific intentions.  
\- I am a doctor! – she said. – I can help!  
The taller girl, who was obviously from Ravka, gave a desperate look, her cheeks wet with tears: - Please… please, save him…  
Doc opened the medical bag, then she leaned over the injured guy to check the damages. She could feel the little Suli’s wary eyes on herself.  
The boy’s appearance was typical of Fjerdan people: he was tall, sturdy and muscular, with a fair complexion.  
His shirt was horribly soiled by a huge bloodstain, which was spreading all over the fabric, starting from the unmistakable bullet hole that sank into his stomach.  
The young woman checked the rhythm of his heartbeat and his respiratory tract. She couldn’t help but bite her own lower lip when she opened his shirt to expose the wound.  
\- Oh no, no, no… not good… - she murmured, pressing the injury with a sterilized patch. – That’s not good…  
She started rummaging into her bag, with a nervous manner. She eventually pulled out a long little box made of metal.  
\- We need an extreme solution… please, take my place and press the patch – she asked the Suli girl. She obeyed, while her brunette friend was watching every move of the young doctor with apprehension.  
The little box had a tiny syringe inside, filled with a transparent liquid. Doc uncovered the needle, checked the absence of air bubbles into the syringe and then she injected the liquid into the Fjerdan’s arm.  
\- What is it? – asked the buxom girl.  
\- It’s one of my inventions. It will give him some extra minutes of life, but we need to find a way to take him to my lab, where I will cure him. My lab isn’t far from here, but…  
She temporally sealed the wound with a sterilize gauze, feeling downhearted: that guy was _huge_ , almost six foot and five inches tall, with an enormous mass of muscles.  
How could they carry him to the lab?  
\- Okay, let’s try to… uhm… you’ll lift him by his shoulders with me – she said to the Ravkian girl, closing the medical bag. – And you’ll lift him by his legs. It will be difficult and dangerous, but… I cannot see other solutions…  
The three girls tried to follow the doctor’s plan but they soon realized they wouldn’t have succeeded.  
Doc immediately started feeling her own muscles trembling from the struggle.  
He was heavy. He was terribly heavy.  
She wasn’t used to lift such weights: she was a slim girl of average height and the additional burden of her big shoulder bag didn’t help.  
Swearing behind her teeth, she looked right, over the Ravkian girl’s Junoesque appearance… and her soul was filled with relief.  
There was a human figure in the distance, a tall, redhead masculine figure who was rapidly approaching. A familiar figure.  
\- Julian! – she shouted, almost hysterical. – Julian hurry up! This is an emergency!  
  
  
  
Three minutes left.  
Every medical instrument belonged in its own place, perfectly aligned with the others.  
Lights on. Mask. Hair net and headset. Medical coat.  
The pocket watch was on the small desk situated in the right corner of the room.  
\- How long before the serum effect wears off?   
\- Two minutes, forty-three seconds.  
Julian removed the bloody gauze and he frowned: the operation would have be extremely complicated.  
\- I’m going to clean the wound.  
Doc nodded, she wore her gloves and checked again the Fjerdan’s heartbeat and breathing.  
His huge and massive body covered the entire operating table.  
\- Jul, I proceed with artificial respiration.  
Things were not good. Doc prayed her saint mentor, her mysterious angel with beautiful hands, to show her what to do, as he had always done.  
_“Please, don’t leave me”_ she thought, as she removed her mask and bended over the injured guys’ face. _“You never failed me. Show me what to do. Help me to save him.”  
_The Fjerdan giant’s lips were soft, his short beard and mustache tickled her skin.  
_“Thousands small needles…”  
_One breath. Two. Three.  
Julian kept staring at the big blonde guy’s abdomen.  
\- The respiratory tract is free.  
One more look to the pocket watch. Fifty-seven seconds left.  
The serum could give some extra time, but they had to perform surgery before the effect could vanish.  
\- Okay, we can proceed.  
Doc put on the medical mask again, she closed her eyes for a moment, then, she opened them. She was filled with relief: those hands, her Saint’s blessing hands were there, beautiful male hands whose fair skin had no imperfections except for a small scar on the left index finger.  
Doc didn’t try to look at his face: his entire shape but his hands was hazy, out of focus.  
He covered his blessing hands with gloves and, out of nowhere, a small, silver-colored scalpel appeared between his fingers.  
Doc chose an identical instrument among her owns, keeping her eyes on the guide’s movements.  
He showed her where to cut, how to cut, every step, every move.  
Almost in a trance, Doc murmured Julian some directives. He obeyed, unaware of everything.  
Nineteen seconds left.  
_“Okay, I’m ready”_ she thought, addressing a brief mental speech to her surgeon saint.  
Copying his moves, she began to perform the surgery.  
  
  
  
Julian’s arm was a solid support, a safe anchor Doc clang to while she was leaving the operating room.  
The worried looks she received from the Fjerdan’s friends led her to put a hand on the left side of her own face. The plastic protection was still there. Fine.  
\- How is he? – asked the Ravkian girl, clasping her hands in front of her generous breasts.  
Her eyes were red and wet, her full cheeks were marked by tears.  
_“Like furrows of small, drain streams, on a rosy land made of…”  
_\- The operation was successful, but we still cannot say if the Fjerdan is safe. It will depend on the next hours, tomorrow the situation could be clearer.  
\- We will keep him under observation – said Julian, helping his colleague to sit on one of the chairs which were lined up along the small aisle, next to the redhead boy who had Dyna, the laboratory’s pet cat, on his lap.  
\- I’m afraid it will take a long time. We not only had to fix the damages the bullet caused, but also a massive hemorrhage.  
\- I had to perform a blood transfusion – Doc panted, her hands still trembling.  
\- A transfusion? What blood did you use? – asked the tall Zemeni boy.  
Doc lifted an eyebrow: - Mine. I am an universal donor. But he’ll need other transfusions, so… I’ll have to alternate with another person at least for the next ones. Has someone of you a comparable blood type with the Fjerdan’s?  
The tiny Suli girl raised her hand: - Me. I’ll do that with pleasure.  
The beautiful Ravkian looked at her with love and gratitude, while the dark haired young man, who was observing the scene aside, let out a little shudder.  
He had sharp and – apparently - stoic features, he was wearing a long black coat and carried a long cane into his hands. The knob of the cane was decorated with the head of a crow.  
Doc had immediately recognized him: he was Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, one of the most dangerous criminals in the city. She had never expected to meet him there, into her lab.  
\- I am going to buy you a hot chocolate – said Julian, giving her a gentle touch on her shoulder. – You need some sugar.  
The young woman nodded, unable to look away from one of the golden buttons of Brekker’s black coat.  
\- I’ll follow you, doctor – said the Zemeni boy, stretching his long arms. – Would you like something to drink, guys? I think I’ll have a coffee.  
\- Seriously, Jesper? – the ginger teen scolded him. – A coffee? _You_?  
The lean guy made a face, then shook his head: - Okay, I’ll take a tea instead. Would you like some tea, merchling?  
\- Yes, please – he answered, caressing Dyna’s head.  
\- I’ll take a coffee – said Dirtyhands.  
\- I am fine for now – echoed the Suli girl, who had to be the famous Wraith.  
Doc felt her own stomach on fire when the Ravkian woman approached her, putting a hand on hers.  
The young doctor had been able to concentrate during the emergency, since she only had to focus on the injured Fjerdan guy, but now she was out of the surgery room, out of her world, exposed and vulnerable.  
She always felt helpless every time she left the doctor’s role to be again… well, the teenager she was.  
She tried to avoid a poor figure, focalizing on the brunette’s fingers on her hand, analyzing the contrast between her own olive complexion and the other girl’s fair incarnate.  
She realized a bit late the Ravkian had just asked her something.  
She blushed, keeping her eyes down – she was sure she could have never been able to return the Grisha’s glance, her marvelous green eyes, not with her face so close to her own – and shyly asked her to repeat.  
\- Can I see him?  
Doc bit her tongue nervously, then she nodded.  
  
  
  
It took a long week before the situation could stabilize.  
Doc felt almost surprised when the corners of her lips lifted up: she thought she should have been used, even aseptic, to this kind of stuff by now, but… but she couldn’t help but smile when the Fjerdan opened his eyes, blinking weakly.  
His eyes had the same color of Nordic ice, his pupils looked like deep, dark holes dug into two clean, frozen lakes.  
He moaned, trying to focus on the environment that surrounded him. Doc widened her smile: her saint hadn’t failed her.  
\- Matthias – she murmured. – You’re in my lab. I am a doctor. Me and my colleague saved your life. Can you remember anything?  
The giant stayed silent for a while, he was clearly confused. Then, he winced: - Ni… Nina…  
\- She’s fine. She’s waiting out of this room and… hey, hey…  
She gently put a hand on the Fjerdan’s bare, large chest, which had just started to rise and fall with an irregular rhythm.  
\- Hush, calm down, it’s all okay. I’ll let her in now. Don’t panic and be careful with your movements. Now, try to regularize your breathing, then I’ll let Nina in, I promise. Okay?  
Matthias bit his lower lip, but nodded.  
\- Alright. Take a deep breath… yes, like that, in and out… another one… just pay attention to the stitches… are the bandages okay? Are them too tight?  
The boy shook his head, rising his diaphragm for the third time.  
\- No… I mean… bandages are okay…  
Doc smiled again – oh Saints, what was happening to her? Was it Smile Day? – and caressed his arm gently: - I’m going to call Nina.  
Her confidence immediately dropped and her stomach started to hurt when she left the room.  
Julian was talking to Jesper and Wylan, while there was no sight of Dirtyhands and his Wraith.  
Nina’s tall and generous figure immediately approached her. Doc struggled to raise her eyes to reach the girl's chin at least, her fingers on the mask that covered her own monstrosities.  
\- He’s… he’s awake. You can go to him… he wants to see you…  
The Ravkian girl ran into the room where her beloved Fjerdan was laying.  
Doc sighed, leaning against the wall. She suddenly felt exhausted.  
\- We’re so grateful to you – Jesper said, with a huge smile. – How can we pay for this?  
\- You… you don’t need to pay… - the young doctor answered. – You owe me nothing.  
\- I owe you _everything_! – cried the Ravkian girl inside the surgery room.  
Doc closed her eyes, massaging her own temples with her long, flexible fingers.  
\- I do not want any payment. Ask Julian if he wants something.  
\- I’m fine too – replied the red haired doctor, touching gently his young colleague’s arm. – Hey, maybe you should go to take a break to the Café. It seems you need it desperately. I’ll stay here to watch over the situation.  
The girl nodded, while Wylan Van Eck asked shyly: - Can we… uh, can we go to visit Matthias?  
\- Let him have some moments with Nina – replied Julian with a gentle smile. – Then you’ll see him too.  
Doc took off her medical coat, then she grabbed the pursue Julian was extending her – their mutual fund for their breaks during working hours – and walked tiredly to the exit of the lab.  
She walked along two large hallways, keeping her eyes fixed on her own shoes to avoid any distraction on the walls or the pavement. She had almost reached the exit door when a gloved hand grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop and look back.  
Two fierce, suspicious eyes, black as coal, met her glance. Doc immediately focused on Dirtyhands’ nose, feeling annoyed by his cold dead pupils.  
\- I am surprised – he said in a flat tone. – I admit I didn’t recognize you at first, but then I understood: extraordinary medical abilities, difficulties with social interactions – he glanced at her wrist. – Typical scratches of a future Cat Lady… a mask on the left side of the face, which hides some mysterious and terrifying scars… I bet there’s a tattoo under your sleeve…  
The young doctor’s features froze, while Breeker kept on with his Creepy Detective play.  
\- You’re Helèna Parr, a member of the Chimeras. Why are you helping us? Which is your prize?  
Doc freed from his grip with a brusque movement, then she looked at him with a furious glance: - I am not one of your minions, Brekker, nor a hostage! You better never talk to me like that again!  
\- Fine, let’s discuss in a quiet manner then – he replied. – I repeat my question.  
The young woman’s nostrils dilated a bit: - The Chimeras do not exist anymore. I am alone now. I saved your friend’s life because this is exactly what I do. That’s my job.  
\- Job doesn’t mean charity and it needs a payment. There must be something you want.  
Helèna thought, for a while, his cynical and concrete speech could actually mean _“How can I show you my gratitude?”_  
She hold her pursue close and approached the door: - As I said, I don’t want anything from you. And now, I beg your pardon, but my body needs some sugar.  
She didn’t let him to reply, she just crossed the door, leaving behind the small grey building and Kaz Brekker with his cynical calculations and his suspicious mind.  
The sad features of Ketterdam looked even more gloomy that morning, under the whitish sky covered by smoky clouds.  
Doc took a deep breath, crossing the empty road to the opposite sidewalk. The Café was slightly ahead, on the left, she just had to go past an antique store and a large column made of white marble, with a giant sundial on the top of it.  
The street was quiet and deserted, as she liked it. Well… it seemed to be deserted…  
An uneasy sensation grew into her soul while she was approaching the marble column. She tried to surpass it quickly, but her presentiment revealed to be even worse than she thought: a lean, familiar figure came out. His voice – Saints, _that_ _voice_! – was sharp and mocking.  
\- You can find excellent cream tarts in that Café, don’t you, Helèna?  
The girl immediately froze, both her hands reached the plastic mask, pressing it against the olive skin of her cheek.  
The man was standing with a cruel grin on his face, he was fully dressed in white, except for his crimson necktie: white shirt, white jacket, white pants, white shoes, white hat.  
\- It’s been a long time since our last meeting, my ingenuous little monster. Are you enjoying your life in this city, sewing up people’s flesh?  
_“Don’t tremble”_ the young woman said to herself. _“Don’t tremble…”  
_She looked down, focusing on every imperfection on the sidewalk pavement, every wastepaper, every cigarette butt, everything but that terrifying white figure.  
Her lips started moving automatically, as she stuttered nonsense words. She winced when the man’s hooked index reached the left side of her face, touching the plastic of her mask.  
\- My sweet Helèna, don’t be scared, I am not here to reprimand you, nor to forbid you to play your Little Doctor Freak game. I’m here to warn you that I’ll need you and your weird, but brilliant, brain again, in an unspecified future. You can enjoy your business for a while, but, when the time will come, I will call you and you will come to me. I know you will, you have no choice, you have no one else but me. It wasn’t your friend, the redhead doctor, who gave you a place to stay, when your comrades abandoned you, it was me. And, should you forget that, I’ll refresh your memory with the sound of the bells. Oh, yes, the bells. The noisy, loud bells. Do you want me to ring the bells, Helèna?  
Helèna shivered: - N-no…  
\- Of course you don’t. And you’re an obedient child, a disciplined monster cub. So, give me your word, you know I need it: will you come to me, when I’ll call you?  
The young woman felt her entire body being devoured by dark flames. She struggle to leave the grip on her mask and to put her hands down, closing her fists to hide her trembling fingers.  
She still hadn’t raised her glance from the sidewalk.  
-Y-Yes…  
\- Louder.  
She sighed.  
\- Yes. I will. I’ll come to you.  
\- Fine!  
The figure went past her, walking away.  
\- Have a nice break.  
It took a long time before the young doctor could feel free from the dark flames which were consuming her soul and flesh: the tension in her muscles loosened, leaving her stunned for a while.  
Every word he said was a cruel ice splinter, pierced into her heart.  
She took a deep breath. Two. Three.  
Then, she took courage to look back: the sidewalk and the street were empty again.  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> The Author’s Corner: Hi! This is my first story here, I’ve just created my account and I am a bit nervous, I’ve always written in Italian during this years, I used to write in English when I was at the High School, so I need to practice.  
> I need to thank the author Amitye, who helped me checking my translation.  
> I hope you liked this single chapter and my new character, since I want to write a small prequel (about ten chapters long) which will focus on Doc’s past, explaining what has happened to her group, the Chimeras, and who is the mysterious creepy man at the end of the prologue. The title of the story will be “The Basilisk”.  
> I promise Kaz (and probably Inej and Jesper too) will appear.  
> MAYBE someday I could also translate and post a sequel I am planning with my friend, which will take place two years after this prologue, but we’ll need more time to do that.  
> About the other original characters: Julian belongs to my friend, while the villain belongs to both of us.  
> I won’t open a discussion about my hatred and disgust for the ending of Crooked Kingdom, I don’t want to be mad again, I need tranquility.  
> So, thanks to everyone who read this story!  
> Kisses,
> 
> Lynn


End file.
